Saturday, March 21, 2020

Srila Prabhupada: About Epidemics in Human Society




SRILA PRABHUPADA QUOTES ABOUT EPIDEMICS IN HUMAN SOCIETY

From: Yasoda Nandana Prabhu 

Bribery, cheating, aggression and, therefore, famine, epidemic, war and similar other disturbing features become prominent in human society

yadā hy adharmeṇa tamo-dhiyo nṛpā
jīvanti tatraiṣa hi sattvataḥ kila
dhatte bhagaṁ satyam ṛtaṁ dayāṁ yaśo
bhavāya rūpāṇi dadhad yuge yuge

TRANSLATION

Whenever there are kings and administrators living like animals in the lowest modes of existence, the Lord in His transcendental form manifests His supreme power, the Truth Positive, shows special mercy to the faithful, performs wonderful activities and manifests various transcendental forms as is necessary in different periods and ages.

PURPORT

As mentioned above, the cosmic creation is the property of the Supreme Lord. This is the basic philosophy of Īśopaniṣad: everything is the property of the Supreme Being. No one should encroach upon the property of the Supreme Lord. One should accept only what is kindly awarded by Him. Therefore, the earth or any other planet or universe is the absolute property of the Lord. The living beings are certainly His parts and parcels, or sons, and thus every one of them has a right to live at the mercy of the Lord to execute his prescribed work. 

No one, therefore, can encroach upon the right of another individual man or animal without being so sanctioned by the Lord. The king or the administrator is the representative of the Lord to look after the management of the Lord's will. He must therefore be a recognized person like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira or Parīkṣit. Such kings have full responsibility and knowledge from authorities about the administration of the world. But at times, due to the influence of the ignorance mode of material nature (tamo-guṇa), the lowest of the material modes, kings and administrators come into power without knowledge and responsibility, and such foolish administrators live like animals for the sake of their own personal interest. 

The result is that the whole atmosphere becomes surcharged with anarchy and vicious elements. Nepotism, bribery, cheating, aggression and, therefore, famine, epidemic, war and similar other disturbing features become prominent in human society. And the devotees of the Lord or the faithful are persecuted by all means. All these symptoms indicate the time of an incarnation of the Lord to reestablish the principles of religion and to vanquish the mal-administrators. This is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā.

The Lord then appears in His transcendental form without any tinge of material qualities. He descends just to keep the state of His creation in a normal condition. The normal condition is that the Lord has provided each and every planet with all the needs of the native living beings. They can happily live and execute their predestined occupations to attain salvation at the end, following the rules and regulations mentioned in the revealed scriptures. 

The material world is created to satisfy the whims of the nitya-baddha, or everlasting conditioned souls, just as naughty boys are provided with playing cradles. Otherwise, there was no need of the material world. But when they become intoxicated with the power of material science to exploit the resources unlawfully without the sanction of the Lord, and that also only for sense gratification, there is necessity of the Lord's incarnation to chastise the rebellious and to protect the faithful.

When He descends, He exhibits superhuman acts just to prove His supreme right, and materialists like Rāvaṇa, Hiraṇyakaśipu and Kaṁsa are sufficiently punished. He acts in a manner which no one can imitate. For example, the Lord, when He appeared as Rāma, bridged the Indian Ocean. When He appeared as Kṛṣṇa, from His very childhood He showed superhuman activities by killing Pūtanā, Aghāsura, Śakaṭāsura, Kāliya, etc., and then His maternal uncle Kaṁsa. 

When He was at Dvārakā He married 16,108 queens, and all of them were blessed with a sufficient number of children. The sum total of His personal family members amounted to about 100,000, popularly known as the Yadu-vaṁśa. And again, during His lifetime, He managed to vanquish them all. He is famous as the Govardhana-dhārī Hari because He lifted at the age of only seven the hill known as Govardhana. The Lord killed many undesirable kings in His time, and as a kṣatriya He fought chivalrously. 

He is famous as the asamaurdhva, unparalleled. No one is equal to or greater than Him. 

Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/sb/1/10/25

When there is an epidemic disease, an antiseptic vaccine protects a person from the attack of such an epidemic

Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa, a great commentator on the Bhagavad-gītā, writes as follows: ye indrādy-aṅga-tayāvasthitaṁ yajñaṁ sarveśvaraṁ viṣṇum abhyarccya taccheṣam aśnanti tena taddeha-yāntrāṁ sampādayanti te santaḥ sarveśvarasya bhaktāḥ sarva-kilviṣair anādi-kāla-vivṛddhair ātmānubhava- pratibandhakair nikhilaiḥ pāpair vimucyante. 

The Supreme Lord, who is known as the yajña-puruṣaḥ, or the personal beneficiary of all sacrifices, is the master of all demigods who serve Him as the different limbs of the body serve the whole. Demigods like Indra, Candra, Varuṇa, etc., are appointed officers who manage material affairs, and the Vedas direct sacrifices to satisfy these demigods so that they may be pleased to supply air, light and water sufficiently to produce food grains. When Lord Kṛṣṇa is worshiped, the demigods, who are different limbs of the Lord, are also automatically worshiped; therefore, there is no separate need to worship the demigods.

For this reason, the devotees of the Lord, who are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, offer food to Kṛṣṇa and then eat—a process which nourishes the body spiritually. By such action not only are past sinful reactions in the body vanquished, but the body becomes immunized to all contamination of material nature. When there is an epidemic disease, an antiseptic vaccine protects a person from the attack of such an epidemic. Similarly, food offered to Lord Viṣṇu and then taken by us makes us sufficiently resistant to material affection, and one who is accustomed to this practice is called a devotee of the Lord. 

Therefore, a person in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, who eats only food offered to Kṛṣṇa, can counteract all reactions of past material infections, which are impediments to the progress of self-realization. On the other hand, one who does not do so continues to increase the volume of sinful action, and this prepares the next body to resemble hogs and dogs, to suffer the resultant reactions of all sins. The material world is full of contaminations, and one who is immunized by accepting prasādam of the Lord (food offered to Viṣṇu) is saved from the attack, whereas one who does not do so becomes subjected to contamination.

Food grains or vegetables are factually eatables. The human being eats different kinds of food grains, vegetables, fruits, etc., and the animals eat the refuse of the food grains and vegetables, grass, plants, etc. Human beings who are accustomed to eating meat and flesh must also depend on the production of vegetation in order to eat the animals. Therefore, ultimately, we have to depend on the production of the field and not on the production of big factories. 

The field production is due to sufficient rain from the sky, and such rains are controlled by demigods like Indra, sun, moon, etc., and they are all servants of the Lord. The Lord can be satisfied by sacrifices; therefore, one who cannot perform them will find himself in scarcity—that is the law of nature. Yajña, specifically the saṅkīrtana-yajña prescribed for this age, must therefore be performed to save us at least from scarcity of food supply. 

Link to this page: 

https://prabhupadabooks.com/bg/3/14

By the celestial influence of the stars there are many calamities like excessive heat, cold, rains or no rains, and the after-effects are famine, disease and epidemic.

paśyotpātān nara-vyāghra
divyān bhaumān sadaihikān
dāruṇān śaṁsato 'dūrād
bhayaṁ no buddhi-mohanam

TRANSLATION

Just see, O man with a tiger's strength, how many miseries due to celestial influences, earthly reactions and bodily pains-all very dangerous in themselves-are foreboding danger in the near future by deluding our intelligence.

PURPORT

Material advancement of civilization means advancement of the reactions of the threefold miseries due to celestial influence, earthly reactions and bodily or mental pains. By the celestial influence of the stars there are many calamities like excessive heat, cold, rains or no rains, and the after-effects are famine, disease and epidemic. 

The aggregate result is agony of the body and the mind. Man-made material science cannot do anything to counteract these threefold miseries. They are all punishments from the superior energy of māyā under the direction of the Supreme Lord. Therefore, our constant touch with the Lord by devotional service can give us relief without our being disturbed in the discharge of our human duties. 

The asuras, however, who do not believe in the existence of God, make their own plans to counteract all these threefold miseries, and so they meet with failures every time. The Bhagavad-gītā (7.14) clearly states that the reaction of material energy is never to be conquered, because of the binding effects of the three modes. They can simply be overcome by one who surrenders fully in devotion under the lotus feet of the Lord. Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/sb/1/14/10

Whenever there is overpopulation, there must be an outbreak of war, epidemic, famine, or the like to curb it. These natural activities do not take place by chance but are planned. Anyone who says they are a matter of chance has insufficient knowledge.

Devotee: No one. Modern evolutionists ultimately base their theory on the existence of chance variations.

Śrīla Prabhupāda: That is nonsense. There is no such thing as chance. If they say “chance,” then they are nonsense. Our question remains. Who has created the different circumstances for the existence of different kinds of animals?

Devotee: For example, a frog may lay thousands of eggs, but out of all of them only a few may survive to adulthood. Those who do are more fit than the others. If the environment did not favorably select the fittest, then too many frogs—

Śrīla Prabhupāda: Yes, frogs and many other animals lay eggs by the hundreds. A snake gives birth to scores of snakes at a time, and if all were allowed to exist, there would be a great disturbance. 

Therefore, big snakes devour the small snakes. That is nature’s law. But behind nature’s law is a brain. That is our proposition. Nature’s law is not blind, for behind it there is a brain, and that brain is God. We learn this from the Bhagavad-gītā [9.10]: mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram. Whatever is taking place in material nature is being directed by the Supreme Lord, who maintains everything in order. 

So, the snake lays eggs by the score, and if many were not killed, the world would be overwhelmed by snakes. Similarly, male tigers kill the cubs. The economic theory of Malthus states that whenever there is overpopulation, there must be an outbreak of war, epidemic, famine, or the like to curb it. These natural activities do not take place by chance but are planned. Anyone who says they are a matter of chance has insufficient knowledge.

Devotee: But Darwin has a huge amount of evidence—

Śrīla Prabhupāda: Evidence? That is all right. We also have got evidence. Evidence must be there. But as soon as there is evidence, there should be no talk of “chance.”

Devotee: For example, out of millions of frogs, one may happen to be better adapted to living in the water.

Śrīla Prabhupāda: But that is not by chance! That is by plan! He doesn’t know that. As soon as one says “chance,” it means his knowledge is imperfect. A man says “chance” when he cannot explain. It is evasive. So the conclusion is that he is without perfect knowledge and therefore unfit for giving any knowledge. He is cheating, that’s all. 

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Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the antiseptic measure. Suppose there is some epidemic in the city, and one has taken the antiseptic vaccine of measure. He's not affected. Similarly, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the antiseptic method to become free from the contamination of this material world. So lipyate na sa pāpena. He's not affected by the counteraction or contamination of this material world.

kāyena manasā buddhyā
kevalair indriyair api
yoginaḥ karma kurvanti
saṅgaṁ tyaktvātma-śuddhaye
[Bg. 5.11]

Ātma-śuddhaye yoginaḥ. Those who are yogis. Yogi means those who are in connection with the Supreme. They are called yogis. So kāyena. Kāyena means by body. Manasā. Manasā means by mind. Buddhyā. Buddhyā means by intelligence. Kevalair indriyair api. And with the senses. Yoginaḥ karma kurvanti. They work. It appears just like they are doing like ordinary man, but saṅgaṁ tyaktvā ātma-śuddhaye. Saṅgaṁ tyaktvātma... He has no connection. He has no connection. Just like a bank cashier. 

He is sitting on the cash counter, and millions of dollars are coming to him, but he has no connection with it. Ātma-śuddhaye. Because he is yoga-yukta. He knows that "I am different from this money." He's all right. So by Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one who is a yogi, yogi... Yoginaḥ karma kurvanti saṅgaṁ tyaktvātma-śuddhaye. Ātma-śuddhaye. Karma. They work for ātma-śuddhi. 

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It is said: bhārāvatāraṇāyānye bhuvo nāva ivodadhau. Bhuva, this world becomes overburdened. Overburdened. As soon it becomes overburdened, there must be a war, pestilence, famine, epidemic and finish

Prabhupāda: So Kuntīdevī is describing different statements of different persons why Kṛṣṇa appeared. Somebody says that He appeared on the request of Devakī and Vasudeva. Somebody says He appeared on the request of Brahmā.

So there is bhūri-bhara, bhūri-bhara. It is said: bhārāvatāraṇāyānye bhuvo nāva ivodadhau. Bhuva, this world becomes overburdened. Overburdened. As soon it becomes overburdened, there must be a war, pestilence, famine, epidemic and finish. This is natural. Overburdened. Nature's law. This is called... In economics there is some law. So why the world becomes overburdened? The earth planet... Not only earth planet. There are many millions of other planets also. They are bearing big, big mountains, big, big oceans. Why it becomes overburdened?

Yes. First of all, you have to consider how this planet is floating in the air. It is floating in the air as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, gām āviśya [Bg. 15.13]. Because Kṛṣṇa enters within this... Kṛṣṇa. Just like He enters within the atom. So, He's the spirit, Supreme Spirit. So, because the Supreme Spirit is within, therefore it is floating. Not that weightlessness. Weight is there, very heavy weight. Just like you can test. This body will float in the water so long you are living. And as soon as the spirit soul goes, then immediately the body goes down. The law of gravity acts. The so-called law of gravity. This is an example. A child, so long it is living you can take in one hand. But as soon as the child is dead, it becomes heavier. That is natural.

So, everything is lighter as soon as it is spiritually advanced or there is spirit. Similarly, when we'll be spiritually advanced, then there will be no impediment. Now we cannot fly in the air, but when you are free from this body, your spirit soul, within a second you can go to the Vaikuṇṭhaloka. It is so light. Within a second. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti [Bg. 4.9]. Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/…/8/34/los_angeles/april/26/1973

So, the plague subsided. This is a fact. Everyone who knows history of Calcutta, the plague was subsided by saṅkīrtana movement.

How nature can be controlled? Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te [Bg. 7.14]. This is the law of nature. If you become disobedient to God, then prakṛti or nature will give you trouble in so many ways. And as soon as you become submissive, surrender to Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there will be no more natural disturbances. I have heard in 1900, 1898—I was born in 1896—so I have heard, I have seen also, I remember, in Calcutta there was a very virulent type of plague epidemic in 1898. 

So Calcutta became devastated. All people practically left Calcutta. Daily hundreds and hundreds of people were dying. I was one year old or one-and-a-half-year-old. I have seen what was happening, but there was plague epidemic. That I did not know. I, later on, I heard from my parents. So one bābājī, he organized saṅkīrtana, Hare Kṛṣṇa saṅkīrtana. When there was no other way, so he organized saṅkīrtana all over Calcutta. And in the, in saṅkīrtana, all people, Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Parsi, everyone joined. 

And they were coming, they were going road to road, street to street, entering in every house. So that Mahatma Gandhi Road, 151, you have seen. The saṅkīrtana party we received very nicely. There was light, and I was very small, I was also dancing, I can remember. Just like our small children sometimes dances. I remember. I could see only up to the knees of the persons who were joined. So, the plague subsided. This is a fact. Everyone who knows history of Calcutta, the plague was subsided by saṅkīrtana movement. Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/…/…/1/10/5/mayapura/june/20/1973

Just try to understand. If there is an epidemic, infection, so in that condition, first of all what is the necessity? First thing is to disinfect the epidemic

Śaunaka Ṛṣi inquired: Why did Mahārāja Parīkṣit simply punish him, since he was the lowest of the śūdras, having dressed as a king and having struck a cow with his leg? Please describe all these incidences as they relate to the topics of Lord Kṛṣṇa." [SB 1.16.5]

Prabhupāda: So here is..., the basic principle is yadi kṛṣṇa-kathāśrayam. Devotees are interested to discuss something if it is helping us how we can become more and more attached to Kṛṣṇa. That is the... Otherwise, we are not interested in the matter of general principles of morality, social culture, ethics. They are required, but because this material world means it is a contaminated world, infected world. 

So, here in this material world so-called morality or immorality is the same because it is infected. Just try to understand. If there is an epidemic, infection, so in that condition, first of all what is the necessity? First thing is to disinfect the epidemic. In the infected area you cannot derive any benefit by discussing morality or immorality. The man is dying out of infection. So to a immediately dying person, who is sure to die due to infection, what is the use of giving him instruction of morality or immorality? He's going to die. Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/…/16/5/los_ange…/january/02/1974

That is Malthus's theory also, that as soon as there is overpopulation, there must be something disturbance, war, pestilence, epidemic, and finished, finished

What is that crisis? Power crisis? Energy crisis. So, crisis must be there. Otherwise, if you live peacefully, even within so many crisis, war, and fighting, we are thinking this world is very nice. In spite of all these difficulties. Especially in the Western countries, every ten years there is a war. First World War, Second World War. Before that, Hundred Years War, Seven Years War, Trafalgar's war, Waterloo war. War, war, war. There cannot be any peaceful life, because everyone is rogue and rascal, so there must be war. There must be punishment by nature. As soon as there is overpopulation...

That is Malthus's theory also, that as soon as there is overpopulation, there must be something disturbance, war, pestilence, epidemic, and finished, finished. The extra population, unnecessary. Varṇa-saṅkara. They are called varṇa-saṅkara. Varṇa-saṅkara... Because by nature there must be brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, by nature. 

That should be organized. Head is head, tail is tail, not that head, tail, everything is one. That is called varṇa-saṅkara. Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna has argued that if the family members... If the woman becomes widow, then there will be varṇa-saṅkara population. Varṇa-saṅkara population means a population who cannot say who is his father. That is varṇa-saṅkara. Or which caste does he belong, what is his father, what is his family. No, nothing, no information. That is called varṇa-saṅkara. So when the varṇa-saṅkara population increases, then the whole world becomes hell.

So, in order to save the world to become hellish, the king was so alert. That is also bhakti. Because the whole natural plan is to come back to home, back to Godhead. This is nature's plan. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā [Bg. 7.14]. Just like the police department. What is the meaning of police department? Why government spends so much money for police department? Just to keep law and order. 

There must be. As soon as there is disobedience of law and order, immediately police department must go and punish and arrest. We can experience these things. Similarly, by God's side, there is such department, police department. That is māyā, Durgādevī. Durgādevī, you have seen. Most of you might not have seen Durgādevī's picture, with trident, trident in the hand. The asura is being attacked by the trident. So, this trident means threefold miseries. You have seen the picture, mother, goddess Durgā is piercing the trident just here on the heart. This trident means threefold miseries: adhyātmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika. I have several times explained: pertaining to the body and mind, pertaining to the other living entities, adhibhautika, adhidaivika, pertaining to the nature's disturbance. Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/…/12/los_angeles/january/09/1974

If there is a war, millions of people can be killed. If there is epidemic, millions of men can be killed.

Active means especially in killing the demons. But such demons could be killed without the presence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If there is little earthquake, millions of demons can be killed. It is not very difficult job. If the Pacific Ocean over floods this city, millions of people can be killed. If there is a war, millions of people can be killed. If there is epidemic, millions of men can be killed. So, killing the demons, for that purpose He does not come, Kṛṣṇa. Rather, Kṛṣṇa's many agents, they can kill such demons without any difficulty. 

But He comes, paritrāṇāya sādhūnām. [Bg. 4.8] Just like Lord Nṛsiṁha appeared not to kill the demon Hiraṇyakaśipu. He could be killed otherwise. But He appeared for Prahlāda. Prahlāda Mahārāja, he was being so much teased and so much tortured. He could not tolerate it. So, he wanted to show His devotee that "I shall kill your torturer before you." That is the purpose. So, He did not appear for killing Hiraṇyakaśipu. He appeared to give encouragement to Prahlāda Mahārāja.

As He says, kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati [Bg. 9.31]. He asked Arjuna to declare, "My dear Arjuna, you declare that My devotee will never be vanquished." So therefore, He comes. So, these are the understanding of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in toto. So if we discuss about kṛṣṇa-kathā, the words of Kṛṣṇa... There are two books, words of Kṛṣṇa. One, Bhagavad-gītā. Every Vedic literature is kṛṣṇa-kathā, but these two books especially, kṛṣṇa-kathā. Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa is directly speaking, and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, directly speaking about Kṛṣṇa. 

Both of them are kṛṣṇa-kathā. So therefore here it is said that uttama-śloka-vārtayā. Vārtā means message, words. So, if we pass our time simply by reading and talking about Kṛṣṇa, then the sun will not be able to take away our life. This is the secret. If you want to become immortal, then you always be engaged in kṛṣṇa-kathā. Always, twenty-four hours, always think of Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/…/2/3/…/los_angeles/june/12/1972

Just like in epidemic condition where every people is being contaminated and dying, still, the doctors appointed by the government, they have to go into the epidemic area and try to treat the person and save them. Our duty is like that. The whole atmosphere is epidemic, whole atmosphere, this Kali-yuga

So we have to be very careful. The age is very bad, the Kali-yuga. You are experiencing. We have to simply take shelter of Kṛṣṇa and always cry,

kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa, he!
kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa, he!
kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa, rakṣa mām!
kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa, pāhi mām!
kṛṣṇa, keśava, kṛṣṇa, keśava, kṛṣṇa, keśava, rakṣa mām!
rāma rāghava, rāma rāghava, rāma rāghava, pāhi mām!

Like that, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu taught us. The time is very dangerous. And still, in this dangerous time... Just like in epidemic condition where every people is being contaminated and dying, still, the doctors appointed by the government, they have to go into the epidemic area and try to treat the person and save them. 

Our duty is like that. The whole atmosphere is epidemic, whole atmosphere, this Kali-yuga. And still, by the superior orders we have to preach this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Therefore, our only shelter is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa, rakṣa mām. Very dangerous position. The foolish people, they are thinking that "We are very happy and we are very safe." But nobody is safe. Nobody is safe. So, we have to deal with persons very carefully, and at the same time, we have to push our missionary activities. Aho kaṣṭaṁ dharma-dṛśām

So they are saying, dharma-dṛśāṁ sabhām, sabhā, sabhām adharmaḥ spṛśate: "If in the court of justice these false things are bribing and without money nobody can get justice, these things happen, it becomes very troublesome."

aho kaṣṭaṁ dharma-dṛśām
adharmaḥ spṛśate sabhām
yatrādaṇḍyeṣv apāpeṣu
daṇḍo yair dhriyate vṛthā

Sabhāṁ yatra sabhāyam, vaidharma dhigbhiḥ esam tan saha.(?) "If the people who are administering justice, they become irreligious, impious, oh, how troublesome situation!" is the first acclamation. Then he says,

prajānāṁ pitaro ye ca
śāstāraḥ sādhavaḥ samāḥ
yadi syāt teṣu vaiṣamyaṁ
kaṁ yānti śaraṇaṁ prajāḥ

"The citizens, they are just like innocent children, and the government is to be supposed as the father. So small children, they are completely dependent on father with full faith: 'My father is there. My mother is there.' And if the father and mother become contaminated, then where is the position of the children?" If the whole government is polluted, then what is the position of the citizens? Just see. There is so-called government, millions of rupees they are spending and taking salary, government house, but the prajā, they have no security for their life income. 

Just see the position. So that is said here. Prajānāṁ pitaro ye ca śāstāraḥ sādhavaḥ samāḥ. How impartial they should be, how competent they should be to give protection to the citizens. And if they are polluted, if they are incapable and such government is there, then it is just like... Yadi syāt teṣu vaiṣamyaṁ kaṁ yānti śaraṇaṁ prajāḥ. Then what is the condition of the citizens? Where they will go for protection? Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/…/2/1-5/calcutta/january/06/1971

Just like when there is epidemic, the whole situation is contaminous.

So, in different ages, in different time, different types of medicines and vaccines are recommended, but in this age, Kali, it is so dangerously contaminous that no other process of medicine will act.

So, this is not God's creation. We should know that it is my creation. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja said, evaṁ sva-karma-patitam. Just like a man is condemned to death. In the court the judge gives the judgment that "This murderer should be hanged." So, it is not the judge that he is giving order to the murderer to be hanged. It is the murderer who has created his situation, to be hanged. This is to be understood. 

Not that the judge is partial, he's giving order to somebody that he must get decree for two millions of dollars, "He must have it," and another man is condemned to death. It is not that the judge is partial, he's giving somebody two millions of dollars and somebody is ordered to be hanged. The judge is impartial. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante [Bg. 4.11]. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa [SB 3.31.1]. This is the version. We act according to our whims, and the resultant action is there immediately. 

The nature's law, God's law, is there. We have got experience that if we infect some disease, contaminous disease, then we must suffer from that disease. So, it is not God's creation that somebody is suffering from some painful condition and somebody is enjoying. No. We infect ourself with some contamination because this world, this material world, is full of contamination, full of contamination. Just like when there is epidemic, the whole situation is contaminous.

Therefore, one has to take vaccine injection to protect himself. So anyone who has come to this material world must know that he has come in a place which is a place of epidemic. So you must have to remain very cautious. Otherwise you will have to suffer.

So, in different ages, in different time, different types of medicines and vaccines are recommended, but in this age, Kali, it is so dangerously contaminous that no other process of medicine will act. Which is...? What is, then, the rescue? The only medicine is harer nāma. Therefore Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma eva kevalam, kalau... [Cc. Ādi 17.21].

Devotees: ...nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā.

Prabhupāda: This is only medicine. To become free from the infection, this harer nāma is the only medicine, bhavauṣadhi. Auṣadhi means medicine. Parīkṣit Mahārāja said, harer nāma, this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, is not meant for the conditioned soul, because as soon as one chants Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, he immediately becomes free from the contaminous, contagious position. There is a verse, eka hari nāme yato pāpa hare, pāpī haya tato pāpa karti bare nāre (?). Once chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is so powerful that all the sinful reaction of life—immediately gone. Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/…/sb/7/9/41/mayap…/march/19/1976

So just like there is antiseptic, what is called, vaccination, to keep yourself from the contamination... There is epidemic, and under government order everyone is vaccinated, that "You take this. So, you shall keep your..." This is material way of keeping oneself from contamination

Therefore, you are, you keep yourself pure. Is that clear? Yes. So, try to keep yourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness without any deviation. Then you remain pure. That is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā, daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī... [Bg. 7.14]. [break] It is very difficult to get out of the clutches of this māyā, contamination. Very difficult. Mām eva ye prapadyante: "But one who keeps touch with Me, with full surrender," māyām etāṁ taranti te, "he's out of these clutches of māyā." So just like there is antiseptic, what is called, vaccination, to keep yourself from the contamination... 

There is epidemic, and under government order everyone is vaccinated, that "You take this. So, you shall keep your..." This is material way of keeping oneself from contamination. Similarly, if you keep always yourself in spiritual understanding of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you remain pure. Yes?

Woman: What then are the guides? Are they also masters in a sense?

Upendra: What then are the guides? Can you repeat the question again?

Woman: What then are the guides? Are they also masters of a sense? Spiritual guides.

Prabhupāda: Yes. One cannot be a spiritual guide unless he's not master of the senses. Therefore, the spiritual guide is called svāmī or gosvāmī. Svāmī means who is master of the senses. He's not servant of the senses. Generally, people are servant of the senses. One who becomes master of the senses, he can become spiritual master. Otherwise not. All right. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (devotees offer obeisances) You chant. Chant. Mādhavī-latā, you can chant. You. You and Mādhavī. Mādhavī. All right. (end) 

----------------------

Another kind of suffering: by nature's... All of sudden, there is drought. Now, just like, all, in India there is drought. They are suffering. No rain. All of a sudden there is earthquake. That is also suffering. There is some epidemic, pestilence. You cannot check it. So, in this way, either of these three, sufferings going on.

Prabhupāda: And so... Real intelligence is that to know "what I am." "I do not want to suffer. Why suffering in this world is imposed upon me?" This is intelligence. Take, for example, nobody wants to die. Why death is forced upon him? Nobody wants to die. If there is now news immediately, "Now this house will collapse," immediately we shall fly away. Because we don't want to die. If we understand that this house is going to be bombed immediately, we'll immediately leave. 

If there is earthquake... So many things. So nobody wants to die. But death is sure. So what solution they have made? I do not want to die, and death is forced upon me. So what solution we have made. What is, what is the scientists have done in this connection? Psychologically, if I do not want to die, then I must find out some way that death will not bother me. That is intelligence. You are talking of intelligence. Therefore, I am explaining what is intelligence. Intelligence means "I do not want something, but it is being forced upon me. How to check it?" That is intelligence. 

Actually, the whole world is going on, we do not want to suffer. But suffering is there. Three kinds of suffering. One kind of suffering is called pertaining to the body and mind. I don't want to be diseased, but there is, all of a sudden, there is disease. Diarrhea. I don't want it, but it is imposed. This is suffering. Due to the body. Some discrepancies. Mind... Body's sound, but mind is not sound. Mind is "Oh, I don't feel today very nice." You see. This is one kind of suffering. Another suffering: other living creature gives you some pains. 

There are so many. Some of your friends, he turns to become your enemy. He puts you in difficulty. Or there are so many animals, so many insects. They give us trouble. This is one kind of suffering. Another kind of suffering: by nature's... All of sudden, there is drought. Now, just like, all, in India there is drought. They are suffering. No rain. All of a sudden there is earthquake. That is also suffering. There is some epidemic, pestilence. You cannot check it. So, in this way, either of these three, sufferings going on. But those who are sleeping, they cannot understand that this is suffering. Just like animals. 

They cannot understand. That is sleeping stage. And when one is awakened, he will think "I don't want all these sufferings. Why they are imposed upon me? How I can avoid?" That is intelligence. So human being, unless he comes to this platform of intelligence, he is animal. The animal cannot do any remedy. You take one animal to the slaughterhouse. He cannot do anything. So sleeping means to remain in ignorance. And awakened stage means in knowledge. So intelligence means one must have knowledge. 

That is intelligence. So this division—brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra—means the highest intelligent class man is called brāhmaṇa. He knows. He's in knowledge. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati [Bg. 18.54]. Next intelligent, less, is the kṣatriyas. Next, the vaiśyas. And the śūdras, they are like, almost like animals. They have no independence. Just like animal has no independence. A dog, without a master, he cannot live. His life is very precarious. So, at the present moment, however one qualified may be, unless he gets a good job, he's just like a dog, a street dog. He may be very highly qualified, technologically, but if he does not get a job, then he's useless. 

He'll go. "Sir, can you give me any job?" "No vacancies." A dog like. Just like dog goes, moves the tail, "Can you give me some food." Somebody gives him, "Eh! Hut!" This is the position. Therefore in this age kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. In Kali-yuga, there is no brāhmaṇa, no kṣatriya. There are some vaiśyas. And all śūdras. Because they cannot live without being engaged by somebody else. And the whole civilization is going on, big, big factories, big, big... What is that? Śūdras. They are creating śūdras. "People should be dependent." 

Unless you work... Therefore people are going fifty miles away, going... I have seen in New York. People are coming from the other side... What is that? 

Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/…/with_educ…/london/july/11/1973

This is our propaganda. "You take this vaccination; you'll be saved. The epidemic is very strong." But if you think, "Now, because there is epidemic there is no other way

Sometimes the devotees question that the Kali-yuga is advancing, and in that sense the standards are deteriorating. Yet you are preaching that "Get everyone to the position where everyone is Kṛṣṇa conscious." How in the Kali-yuga advancing can everyone become Kṛṣṇa conscious?

Prabhupāda: They do not understand. If I say, "The epidemic is increasing. You take this injection, then you can be saved. If you don't take vaccination, then you'll suffer." This is our propaganda. "You take this vaccination; you'll be saved. The epidemic is very strong." But if you think, "Now, because there is epidemic there is no other way. What is the use of taking vaccination?" This is no argument. The epidemic is there; the vaccination is there. (aside:) This is tulasī? Tell them. The disease is there; the medicine is there. 

So intelligent man should take the medicine, precaution, and then he'll be saved. Two things are there. Kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā. In Kali-yuga, if you don't take this, then there is no means of your save, safety. The two things are there. Why you are taking one thing? You take this thing or... [break] Everywhere two things are there: do's and don't's. So, in order to make the process of do's you have to accept the process of don't's. That Nectar of Instruction, Rūpa Gosvāmī? He's instructing both the do's and the don't's. Huh? You have read it?

Harikeśa: Atyāhāraḥ prayāsaś ca... [NoI 2].

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Harikeśa: Atyāhāraḥ prayāsaś ca.

Prabhupāda: Ah. That is don't's.

Harikeśa: Utsāhān niścayāt...

Prabhupāda: This is do's. That is instruction. Why should you take one side? Take both sides.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: One thing is that in those two verses, one is don't and one is do, but the...

Prabhupāda: You have to take.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There is still a statement in the do's which is a don't, where it says, "Don't associate with nondevotees." Utsāhān niścayād dhairyāt tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt... [Upadeśāmṛta 3].

Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/…/morn…/mayapura/january/22/1976

We can stop this epidemic with this information of Krishna Consciousness, and it is our duty to do it.

N.B. Yes, you may take up such debate, but not any quarrel or argument should take place. It is good to have such debate, and to know the various arguments which the Mayavad philosophers put forth, and to know how to fully defeat each one. That God can come under Maya is one of their foolish arguments; therefore, they say "I am God." This nonsense statement can be refuted in full with our information from Bhagavad Gita, Srimad Bhagavatam. 

What, then is the definition of God? How can God become a dog? If you are God, why are you suffering, life after life? God means Supreme Controller; can you control anything? Not even your own body. What to speak of the millions of planets spinning so perfectly in their orbit. In this way, we must learn all of us, to defeat these nonsense rascals, and curtail this epidemic of Impersonalism,, which is fatal to the innocent people. We can stop this epidemic with this information of Krishna Consciousness, and it is our duty to do it.

The question, does Lord Rama or Lord Caitanya forget, is like saying, does God come under Maya, or forgetfulness. You must fully understand this before you can successfully debate with the Mayavad arguments. It is very important point.

(Signed) ACB

Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/…/los_ang…/march/01/1968/upendra

The whole world is already infected with an epidemic of insanity. The whole world is now full with men of unclean habits. And to save the world from further deterioration for human habitation, the atheist should give up the mode of irresponsible life under the influence of blind materialism and take to the path of 'Buddhiyoga'

Infection of association with the qualitative modes of nature is so strong that it is quite possible for the atheist to be obliged to take his next birth as a mouse in the huge mechanical plants established by him. Will the atheist like to become a mouse or a serpent or a dog in his own establishment after his death? He may not believe in it but even then, also he does not know what is going to happen next after his death. He has no knowledge of the spirit soul neither of its mode of transmigration. 

The whole thing is looming in darkness and why should he risk at all his valuable life in such darkness when there is the light before us-the Bhagwat Geeta. Let the blind materialist take light from the Bhagwat Geeta. Let him mold his life in the new light inculcated in the Bhagwat Geeta. The atheist is requested herewith for his own benefit and for the benefit of all concerned-not to indulge in any more attempt of insanity. 

The whole world is already infected with an epidemic of insanity. The whole world is now full with men of unclean habits. And to save the world from further deterioration for human habitation, the atheist should give up the mode of irresponsible life under the influence of blind materialism and take to the path of 'Buddhiyoga' as mentioned in the Bhagwat Geeta. Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/btg/8/8b


Someone is in charge of the whole show ...
and its not us.

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